How to Become a Voice Over Talent

When I was a little girl I was intrigued with voices. Not just any voice, but those of the people you never see on commercials. I was particularly perplexed with the "Time Lady". Remember, there was a number you could call to get the most accurate time of the day. Back then it wasn't a computer generated voice reprint. Back then the time lady was an actual lady who had vocally recorded the time and had it played back on a general number. My inquisitive nature kept me guessing about this profession known as Voice Over for decades.

I went through grade school, high school and then college trying to find an answer to "How do I become the time lady." I didn't even know it was called voice over. I just knew I wanted to do.

Well, after decades of living life (military, corporate America) I decided to rekindle an old love; acting. I was in San Francisco, CA and had decided to take an acting workshop I had seen in the paper. The workshop was Auditioning for TV Commercials at the Beau Bonneau Studio on 2nd street. I loved the workshop but really didn't feel comfortable in front of the camera. Mr. Bonneau was teaching the class and tried (to the best of his ability) to make me comfortable saying and doing the commercials for the camera. For the most part it worked, "Gail, you have a beautiful smile. Let me see it. When you smile it can be heard in your voice."

When the class ended I was so jazzed about the possibility of being in commercials. But, I still wasn't that jazzed about being in front of the camera. On the way out of the studio I picked up one of the trade publication's Beau keeps by the front door. I saw the words "voice over". A place called the Voice Trax was giving a workshop on "Getting into Voice Over". My heart actually skipped a beat. Was this it? Was this the dream I had been pursuing all of these years.

I called the Voice Trax studio and signed up for the class. Oh, this was 1995. Websites were a novelty and this information was more word of mouth.